Official "swapping the XPS 17 L701x screen" thread

[RedlanceEQ]

I have been trying to find info to find out how to swap screens on the XPS 17. The Dell XPS 17 L701x Thread contains a wealth of data (and I recommend anyone wanting to know more about their XPS 17 or planning to buy one to browse through it) but it can be a bit daunting to go through all 116 pages (at time of this post) to find the data needed.

I plan to do the switch myself at some point but so far have not yet received my machine. I will post data I find here in order to help others who want to upgrade their screen.


Why is dell no offering a FHD screen for the XPS 17?

That is a good question as I think the most logical answer is here:

Originally Posted by RoosterRed

good question.
I went to couple of different sites and tend to agree with TRF-Inferno

"Originally Posted by TRF-Inferno
Surprisingly, Dell might have a valid excuse for not offering a 1080p panel for the XPS 17 -- there's only two manufacturers that makes them: AUO and Hann-Star. For those that want to take the initiative in replacing their screen, the Hann-Star HSD173PUW1 is a direct fit. It's not a very bright panel (~200 nits), but black and contrast level is really good. For those that want a general idea on how good this panel looks, search for the ASUS G73 reviews, since they use this panel.

Specifications:
-200 nit brightness
-0.4 cd/m^2 black level
-500:1 contrast ratio

Price on this panel seems to vary due to scarcity; I'm seeing anywhere from $100 to $200. Good news is, it comes in Glossy and Matte flavors if you can find them. "

from what I can tell from the screen, it's not bad, and if the price is right and it becomes more available....
YouTube - Asus G73 gaming laptop review
Rooster

I've also got from a good source that the XPS 17 R2 (L702x) will come out on February 2011 and will include a FHD screen, but it will be a 3D one and most likely more expensive.


What screen should I buy?
So far four screens have been found as compatible for the L701x and L702x):
Chi Mei N173HHE-L11
AU Optronics B173HW01 V.4
AU Optronics B173HW01 V.5
HANNSTAR HSD173PUW1-A00
LG model (lgd0283) (installed by one user so far (tjtremor) and works)


Where can I find the specs of all these screens?

Thanks Mitchell2.24v for the link: http://www.yslcd.com.tw/Docs.aspx


Where can I buy them?


Good resellers:

http://kuzotronic.com/ (Website put together by member barlow00 especially to help XPS owners to get the exact screen they order and not a "similar or better" screen like some other resellers) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
http://www.yslcd.com.tw/Product.aspx...e=B173HW01+V.4 (place used by Mitchell2.24v and several other members and they got the exact screen they ordered) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
LAPTOP SCREENS, LCD panels from $49. Dell, HP Compaq, Toshiba, Acer, IBM Lenovo, Sony, Gateway, Apple, Asus replacement screen display panel (place used by tjtremor but got a "compatible" panel - it worked though)
otoptek.com Sells both the AUO V4 and V5. Send a mail to sally@otoptek.com and they will get back to you with prices (booogo ordered a V5 and got exactly that).



Unconfirmed resellers:

AU Optronics 17.3 full-hd LCD notebook = 5 Resultaten: LCDtec.nl
HannStar 17.3 full-hd notebook LCD = 1 Results: LCDtec.nl
(Thanks to Xymox for these two links)
Chi Mei N173HHE-L11 LCD Screens, $156 retail price.
AU Optronics B173HW01 V.4 LCD Screens, $156 retail price.


Resellers to avoid:


http://www.laptopscreen.com/English/...B173HW01%20V.4 (soup4you2 ordered there and got the AUO screen but the V0 and not the V4. They offer both glossy and matte types of screens) (it came up for another member, madmaxx890, where they sent him an LG with same specs than the standard screen instead of the ordered AUO. They then admitted they do not stock the AUO)
NEW HANNSTAR HSD173PUW1-A00 17.3" FHD SCREEN LED LEFT on eBay (end time 24-Jan-11 18:19:40 GMT) (So far this e-bay seller has to send one screen that is exactly what someone ordered for the XPS 17. Not to mention he is extremely discourteous when challenged on his "LG screen is the best screen" way of thinking. I'd advise avoiding like the plague)


Will this void my warranty?

Originally Posted by waleed786

Actually it doesn't void your warranty, I checked with Dell. They just wont help you if you have any screen problems, but the LG has a warranty of its own so it shouldn't be a problem. The rest of the notebook will still be under warranty

Ok, I have the screen. How do you swap it?

First refer to your XPS 17 manual (also found online here). You'll find this picture:



And now a full instruction with pictures from Mitchell2.24v:

Originally Posted by Mitchell2.24v

Here's my guide to replacing the LCD panel on the XPS 17

This is easy, just be patient and carefull.

Preparation

What you will need is a small Philips screwdriver, a small flat screwdriver, a set of tweezers, something soft to put between your panel and the keyboard, and you need to not be afraid of fingerprints on your screen



I did the display-only method where you leave the rest of the machine intact. Works great.

For those that would like to know, my original panel is indeed an LG one:



The new one is an AUO B173HW01 V.4



Disassembly

When removing the bezel you need to be careful. It might help to know how the thing is actually attached. There are five points on each side of the screen, and eight on top. These points are spaced out evenly. At each of these points there is a set of tiny 'teeth'. These you need to get out of corresponding holes on the back part of the lid.





I found it easiest to pry underneeth the bezel on the side of the screen with your fingernails (so with the palm of your hand facing towards yourself and away from the screen. The back of your hand rests on the lcd panel. Gently lift the bezel and when you can, try and get a fingernail between the bezel on the side of the display assembly. I did this with my left hand and got a good grip.



It might also help to know where the tabs are:



Once you have the bezel off, there are 6 screws you need to undo to get the panel brackets loose from the lid, two on each bottom side of the panel, and on on top. You do not need to undo the hinges.

Here, on the lower left corner you only need to do the two screens on the far left.


On the right top you only need to do the on on the far right.


The other corners are similar.

Next remove the webcam. This thing is taped to the back, and you need to remove it because the cable and connector are taped over the board onto its back. Use a pair of tweezers to remove the tape (carefull, you need to put it back). Then use the small flat screwdriver to take the connector out.



Now put something soft like a towel on your keyboard and slowly tilt the panel forwards until it sits flat on the towel. Next you need to remove the two brackets on the side of the panel. This is done using some small screws on the side of the panel.



The last step is to remove the LVDS connector from the panel. Do this by carefully peeling the sticky tape from the white part of the panel and then gently pulling the connector towards the bottom of the panel.



Now you can remove the crappy LG panel and put the new one in place.



Reassembly

The steps to put it back in a quick list:

* LVDS connector + sticky tape
* Side brackets + screws
* Webcam connector
* Webcam Sticky tape
* Lid screws
* Bezel

If you were careful everything still works!



I broke two of the teeth while getting the bezel off, but there are 36 teeth to keep the bezel on, so there is some room for error.

Some test results

I just compared the icc profiles from the LG panel and the AUO panels, and this confirms what my eyes tell me. This AUO panel looks very similar to the RGB panel in my XPS 1645. The AUO panel has a much wider gamut than the LG one. The RGB panel in the M17xR2 is even better, but not by very much:

LG vs AUO vs AdobeRGB:


LG vs. AUO vs M17xR2 (Samsung)


Also, here is a zip file with my latest profiles for the LG and the AUO panels. Those of you that tried the other profile might try this one.

And finally to activate a profile you might try this little program. It is included with my profiling software, and as they have it available for download on the website, I assume its legal to use it just like that.

Profile Chooser

I changed my screen but the colors look off:

You can change the color profile settings with windows (as a note, Windows tends to use too much blue on its settings)

Mitchell2.24v created a new package with all three profiles (LG, AUO v.4 and AUO v.0) which is very useful.

He also gave a very good procedure on how to add color profiles in Windows:

Originally Posted by Mitchell2.24v

First, download the zipfile with the profile inside and extract it somewhere. It also contains a PDF file with details on the profile's accuracy. This PDF file mentions an Apple Cinema display, but that is the closest I could select regarding the display type and it seems to works best.

20110106_L701x_ICC_LG900p.zip

Now open the start menu and type Color Management and press enter. The Windows Color Management window should appear:



Click the Add button in the lower left corner. The Associate Color Profile window appears:



Now click Browse and you should get a file browser window.



Browse to the folder where you extracted the profile and select the profile. Click Add.

You will go back to the main Color Management window. Finally select the newly added profile and click Set As Default.



On my machine the profiling software takes care of loading the profile, but to the best of my knowledge this should work on systems without the profiling software present.

I switched to a different profiling software, as the one I used before didn't seem to do its job very well. This profile seems to be more accurate. I will test it over the coming days (until my new panel arrives).

To get it to work, it is highly recommended to use this little app, which will enable you to change the profiles with a simple click.



That is what I've been able to find so far. Please feel free to comment, share your experience, etc. I'll do my best to keep this post up to date to help everyone on the forum.

Last but not least, thanks to s0lace and his XPS 14 screen replacement thread that inspired me to do this one.

[RedlanceEQ]

Photos of new screens:

tjtremor's new LG screen (picture taken with an iPhone):



Mitchell's new AUO screen:





bomoogo's new screen (AUO V5):

Spoiler :

[RedlanceEQ]

Placeholder for when I switch my own screen (I'll take photos, put details and all)

[tjtremor]

I just realized they shipped an LG model (lgd0283) and not the
hanstar ( HSD173PUW1 ) not sure what the difference is but the LG works fine

pic is granny, I had to use HDR on the iphone,
i'll film some hd tv and post on youtube

[compwiz0620]

Awesome +1. I hope you have it done and everything posted by the time I get my income tax refund.

[RedlanceEQ]

Thanks tjtremor, I've added the pic to the picture post.

[RoosterRed]

WAY TO GO REDLANCEEQ!!!!!!
this will indeed speed the search for a new screen for our L701x's

Rooster

[RedlanceEQ]

Originally Posted by RoosterRed

WAY TO GO REDLANCEEQ!!!!!!
this will indeed speed the search for a new screen for our L701x's

Rooster

Glad I could help and yeah, I've pulled enough of my hair trying to find the data in the past few days. lol!

On another note, anyone know how I can make the forum re-size the picture in the second post?

[Grat3fulH3ad]

Well this is goin to be the 1st thing I do when I receive my laptop. Well, other than a clean win7 install, SSD & more ram. awesome work compiling all the info!

[RoosterRed]

Originally Posted by tjtremor

I just realized they shipped an LG model (lgd0283) and not the
hanstar ( HSD173PUW1 ) not sure what the difference is but the LG works fine

pic is granny, I had to use HDR on the iphone,
i'll film some hd tv and post on youtube

looks good, but this brings up Mitchell2.24v's issue of getting what you ordered.
This thread would be a good place to discuss, if any, differences between the screens for our L701xs. Mitchell2.24v stated
"It has been said before, and some asking around leads to the same conclusion. Be careful when ordering. You will not always get what you think you're ordering. I'm going for the AUO FHD panel, and you might actually get another kind of AUO, or even an LG panel if you don't pay attention."
Is there really a difference in performance? price? reliability?
Rooster